How to Organize a Parade

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Parades can be organized for any occasion, whether it be to celebrate a holiday, a special tradition, or even to honor a loved one or notable figure in a community. No matter what the occasion, organizing a parade may involve much planning and be somewhat overwhelming for those who need guidance on how to get started. Here are some tips on how to effectively and efficiently organize a parade.

Steps

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  1. Consider a theme you and others will feel comfortable with planning. [1]
  2. Consider if you want to organize a parade for the neighborhood or a larger-scale parade for the entire town or city.
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  3. Give yourself the time you need to organize the parade, whether it be a few months or a few weeks. In order to have an audience, you will need to advertise your parade far in advance so people can make plans. Announce your parade in a local newspaper or post fliers and signs around your town or neighborhood.
  4. Depending on the size of your parade, you may need to pull together a group of people to work with you on organizing the parade. Not only will a committee help you plan for the parade, but they will also assist with clean-up, building floats and more.
  5. To organize large-scale parades in a town or city, you will need to obtain special permits to use public streets, erect barriers and hire security or police officers to control crowds and traffic. [2]
  6. Finding out how many participants you have in advance will allow you to set time constraints in place.
  7. Depending on the amount of participants and time allotted for the parade, you will need to plan accordingly; such as determining how fast floats will travel and how far apart to space each participant.
  8. Establish guidelines around appropriate costumes, advertising limits, or even alcohol limits, depending on the parade theme.
  9. If you plan on having floats in your parade, some local car dealerships may want to lend cars to the participants in your parade for advertising purposes. Be sure to mention your sponsors in parade fliers or brochures. [3]
  10. As the day of your parade closely approaches, generate a buzz in your community by hanging banners and posting signs on the parade route.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Do I have to pay a fee to drive a vehicle in a parade?
    Community Answer
    Some parades require a fee, some do not. It depends on your region, the parade and its organizers.
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  • Question
    Which color guards come first in a parade?
    Community Answer
    Traditionally, a military unit or VFW hall will carry colors, however, barring anything else, you can ask your local police department for assistance.
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  • Question
    How do I get the requisite permits?
    Community Answer
    If it is for an entire town or city, you should call or physically appear before your cities commissioners and ask them. If it is for a neighborhood, or a home owner association area, then you should contact your HOA commissioners. If it is a neighborhood with no HOA, then don't worry about a permit.
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      Tips

      • If you are responsible for cleanup, make sure there are plenty of garbage cans visible to make the cleanup process easier on you and your committee.
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      • When seeking volunteers or people to join the parade planning committee, keep in mind that lots of people helping is better than not having enough people.
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      • Have alternate plans in place just in case poor weather conditions cause a problem. Be sure to establish an alternate day and time to hold the parade.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/holidays/july-4th/traditions/organize-a-neighborhood-4th-of-july-parade/
      2. ↑ https://www.smgov.net/departments/council/agendas/2009/20090428/s2009042813-F.htm
      3. ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217913

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